RESE ARCH
Peggy and Charles Stephenson, center, are joined by Stephenson Cancer Center Director Robert Mannel, M.D., left, and OU Interim President Joe Harroz during an announcement of the Stephensons’ new $20 million gift.
Stephenson Cancer Center Announces $20 Million Gift for Research Stephenson Cancer Center at OU Medicine announces a transformative $20 million gift from the Stephenson Family Foundation and Peggy and Charles Stephenson, the center’s namesakes and longtime supporters of the University of Oklahoma. The gift to the OU Foundation will expand the research mission of Stephenson Cancer Center. To extend the impact of the gift, Stephenson Cancer Center is committed to raising an additional $20 million, bringing a total of $40 million to discover new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer. “Cancer is a malicious foe,” said Robert Mannel, M.D., director of Stephenson Cancer Center. “One in three women and one in two men in Oklahoma will be diagnosed with cancer during their lives. We are committed to providing tomorrow’s cancer care today through clinical trials, laboratory research and translational research. This gift from the Stephenson family will transform our research efforts.” The generosity of the Stephenson family will enhance research endeavors in a multitude of ways, including recruitment of new world-class scientists, the creation
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of five new endowed chairs in cancer research and renovation of laboratory space with innovative features and technology. The gift also will further Stephenson Cancer Center’s pursuit of Comprehensive Status from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). In 2018, Stephenson achieved its position as Oklahoma’s only NCI-Designated Cancer Center, representing the top 2% of cancer centers in the United States. Comprehensive Status builds on that distinction with recognition for an added depth and breadth of research, as well as substantial collaboration between scientists across many types of cancers. “Peggy and Charles Stephenson are longtime generous supporters of the University of Oklahoma, and their latest gift will literally save lives,” said Joseph Harroz Jr., interim president of the University of Oklahoma. “Their generosity will have an amplifying impact on the research mission of Stephenson Cancer Center, creating opportunities for the discovery of breakthroughs in leading-edge cancer therapies. It’s because of the Stephensons and their vision for cancer care in Oklahoma that our state has the resources it does to
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